There’s no doubt; gardening can be an expensive hobby. At times, gardening can feel like you get more exercise putting your hand into your purse than you do turning soil with a spade. Even without elaborate garden projects, just basic maintenance has a tendency to strain your finances.
While we may be on the road to autumn, there’s still – hopefully – a few weeks of decent weather left. You may want to make the most of those weeks before the winter sets in; or perhaps just want some ideas to make next year’s gardening fun more cost-friendly. So, to make gardening a hobby that any budget can enjoy, here are a few cost-cutting strategies that every gardener can make use of.
Fertiliser Friendly
Fertiliser costs a small fortune, especially if you intend to use it liberally across a wide space. Your plants may receive extra enrichment from good fertiliser, but there’s no doubt that such a measure is likely to make you worse off financially.
However, we all want gorgeous blooms and plants that glisten with health, so fertiliser is a must. However, you could try one of these cheap and natural fertilisers to keep your costs down. The two most well-recommended options are:
- Coffee grinds. If you use a cafetiere – sometimes called a French press – then your used coffee grinds can provide vital sustenance for plants. Ensure you water them down, then sprinkle sparingly onto roots.
- Eggshells. Grind them down and sprinkle liberally onto roots. Eggshells are a source of nitrogen, which can hugely benefit your plants. In fact, nitrogen is the primary ingredient in the majority of store fertilisers.
Lawn Love
Lawns are present in the majority of gardens, but they tend to come with a very literal price. There is the cost of the lawnmower to consider, as well as the electricity required to power it. Then you have treatments to keep the grass in good condition; as well as the cost of your time to apply all of these maintenance strategies.
In contrast, have you ever considered the benefits of artificial grass? Once you have it installed, that’s pretty much it. You have a perfect year-round lawn with minimal maintenance, and minimal costs. Artificial grass can look incredibly realistic too, so such a change could do nothing but enhance your outdoor space.
Pest-free Paradise
You may think that it’s your garden, but the pests think the exact opposite. It’s their garden, and they have no intention to move out – unless you make them. So you have no choice but to spend money on pest control, just so the plants you’re trying to grow can thrive as they should. Not only is pest-control incredibly irritating, but it costs plenty as well.
So why not put the expensive [amazon_textlink asin=’B002XFVSGK’ text=’pest-control sprays’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’mygardening411-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’81023dbb-9178-11e7-ae59-3baf142f5a71′] down and try planting herbs instead?
Certain herbs can help keep pets away from your beloved plants. You could also try using plants that attract beneficial insects, who in turn can help keep pest populations down in a natural way. Either option works well, and can save you a chunk of change too.
As the above strategies show, gardening doesn’t have to cost a fortune – if you know how to keep your costs down, that is. Now you do, enjoy putting the above into practice; your garden will be blooming marvellous and affordable – perfect!